ellen_datlow (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ellen_datlow) wrote2007-10-09 01:16 pm
ellen_datlow) wrote2007-10-09 01:16 pm
Vote vote vote--and rec rec rec rec
Ok. Here's my impassioned plea/push/nag for anyone who reads this blog and is eligible to recommend stories and or novels for the various peer group science fiction, fantasy, and horror awards.
I know that some people feel that awards themselves are a bad thing and that they should all be abolished. I'm not talking to you. I don't believe that and I know I'm not going to change your minds.
Awards are NOT going to go away but they could become less visible (which I think is a bad thing). As an editor I really appreciate it when the stories/books I edit make final award ballots and win awards. And I think most writers are even more appreciative of this. It gives a sense of validation for what you're doing by your peers (for the Nebula and Stoker).
Right now is "award rec season" and there are discussions on both the SFWA Bulletin Board and the HWA Bulletin Board about how their respective awards are dying --not enough members are recommending works to even make a preliminary ballot.
Now some people think that this might be because no one likes the work being published.
Others that no one is reading enough short fiction to be interested in recommending works in those categories.
I have a really difficult time believing the first reason. I've been reading sf/f/h short fiction for twenty five years and have found no drop off in quality in any of those fields.
I can't answer for the second but I hope it's not true because if so my profession will die and I love editing short fiction.
If you care at ALL for the genre short story then I urge you to recommend the stories that you think are worth bringing to the attention of your peers.
This is totally off the cuff and I know if I thought about it more I'd have more to write--but I'd also probably just delete the whole post...
Comments welcome!
I know that some people feel that awards themselves are a bad thing and that they should all be abolished. I'm not talking to you. I don't believe that and I know I'm not going to change your minds.
Awards are NOT going to go away but they could become less visible (which I think is a bad thing). As an editor I really appreciate it when the stories/books I edit make final award ballots and win awards. And I think most writers are even more appreciative of this. It gives a sense of validation for what you're doing by your peers (for the Nebula and Stoker).
Right now is "award rec season" and there are discussions on both the SFWA Bulletin Board and the HWA Bulletin Board about how their respective awards are dying --not enough members are recommending works to even make a preliminary ballot.
Now some people think that this might be because no one likes the work being published.
Others that no one is reading enough short fiction to be interested in recommending works in those categories.
I have a really difficult time believing the first reason. I've been reading sf/f/h short fiction for twenty five years and have found no drop off in quality in any of those fields.
I can't answer for the second but I hope it's not true because if so my profession will die and I love editing short fiction.
If you care at ALL for the genre short story then I urge you to recommend the stories that you think are worth bringing to the attention of your peers.
This is totally off the cuff and I know if I thought about it more I'd have more to write--but I'd also probably just delete the whole post...
Comments welcome!
no subject
That's my usual method of reading things. I admit it doesn't work well with stuff like Martin's Terrible People Doing Horrible Things series (But I did get through Moore and Kuttner's Two-Handed Engine in one long session). Bloat only affects fantasy novels these days, so all of the SF and mystery MSes are a reasonable length for my approach.
In a word, money. As long as someone is willing to pay me, I will read anything that is sent to me. Uh, but the someone paying me can't be the author of the work in question. I do reserve the right to occasionally scream "Stars move!", "No educated person thought the Earth was flat in 1492!" or M/m = e^(Vdelta/Vexhaust)!" at books. I don't do that on the bus anymore.
There's also the possibility of very pleasant surprises, the discovery of a subgenre that I like that I would never have considered looking at on my own.
no subject
:)
no subject
Note that he got paid in 2004 American dollars, worth considerably more than 2007 American dollars after the conversion to Canadian dollars.
I cannot tell from the Dark Horse website if their planned reprint of the Gor series is actually going to happen.